Late Friday, the Clean Energy Bill (H.468) passed out of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, and it will be voted on by the full House of Representatives on Tuesday. Advocating for this bill has been a wild ride. Multiple representatives have told me it’s been one of the toughest bills they’ve ever worked …
An Update from VPIRG Director, Paul Burns, on Friday, March 16 As you know, nearly two months ago Judge Garvan Murtha handed Vermonters a significant defeat when he ruled that state legislators had exceeded their authority to regulate the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. In light of this decision and as we approach the date that …
For Immediate Release: March 13, 2012 Montpelier, VT – Jewelry being sold in Vermont stores contains alarming levels of toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium, nickel and arsenic, according to a new study. Many of the products tested are aimed at children. The chemicals found in the jewelry have been linked to acute allergies, birth defects, …
News Release: Alarming Levels of Lead, Cadmium, and Nickel Found in Vermont Jewelry Read More »
When Judge Garvan Murtha ruled against Vermont a month ago in Entergy’s lawsuit against the state, he made very clear that the state still has authority over the plant, through Vermont’s Public Service Board. On Friday, the Public Service Board, which oversees all electric generation in the state, started to exercise that authority.
Town Meeting Day in Vermont marked a milestone for the movement to take back our democracy. Sixty Vermont cities or towns passed resolutions calling upon Congress to amend the US Constitution to state that “corporations are not people” and “money is not speech.”
By passing PACE, your municipality agrees to let homeowners pay back investments on energy renovations to their homes over time through a separate assessment on their property tax bill. So if your town adopts PACE, and you want to make your home more efficient or install solar panels (for example), you’ll be able to pay for them by putting a little extra every month on your property tax bill, rather than going through the hassle of getting a personal or home equity loan. In many cases, your energy savings every month will more than cover your monthly payment. What’s more, if you ever sell your home, the cost of the energy upgrades stay with the house, so you can’t get stuck paying for someone else’s savings.
Thanks to the statewide constitutional amendment passed last year, 17-year olds due to turn 18 on or before the general election on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 may now register and vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary election (though you are not eligible to cast your vote on municipal measures that may be listed on the same ballot).
Cities and towns across Vermont have taken up the call to ask Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution – stating that corporations are not people and money is not speech.
On Friday afternoon, after two days of grueling debate, the Vermont House of Representatives passed the health reform bill (H.559) with a vote of 88-38. The legislation marks the next big step towards high quality, affordable health care for every Vermonter.
Expanding Vermont’s Bottle Bill to certain non-carbonated beverage containers would be a win-win for our state’s environment and economy, according to a new study released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG). Among the specific findings in Understanding the Impacts of Expanding Vermont’s Beverage Deposit Return Program: an additional 96.7 million bottles and cans would be recycled each year in Vermont.
